Opera preview: The Tragedy of Carmen

‘The Tragedy of Carmen’ is Bizet’s sexy, supercharged opera stripped down to 80 minutes of compelling singing and storytelling.

Keith Powers

It’s maybe the one place in the world where it’s safe to smoke a cigarette. Make-believe cigarettes, that is.

We’re talking about Bizet’s popular opera "Carmen,'' with its sexy, supercharged plot, set in a cigarette factory, which Boston Midsummer Opera recreates this week at Boston University’s Tsai Performance Center. Only it won’t be the famed three-hour version.

This "Carmen,'' titled "The Tragedy of Carmen,'' is English theater and film director Peter Brook’s adaptation.

The soloists and most of the music are all there, but the chorus will be replaced by actors, under the direction of artistic director Drew Minter. The story has been condensed to one act, lasting about 80 minutes, and will be sung in English.

"All the color is there and it should be quite interesting to people who do know the opera,'' said conductor Susan Davenny-Wyner. "It’s written and performed at the highest level, with the stripped-down orchestra,'' she said referring to the instrumental ensemble, 15-strong, which will sit at the back of the stage rather than in the pit between audience and singers. Davenny-Wyner called Brooks work well-orchestrated.

"It’s more intimate, and it allows you to see the inner world of the characters,'' she said. "It’s one of the reasons I love working with Drew. He is very aware of the complexity of the characters, especially of Carmen, and the way Brook writes it, one really does feel the tragedy in her life. Her story is well rounded, and the character of Don Jose is also more powerful, very rich, and we’re allowed to see into their inner world.''

Chigas may be young, but she already brings some experience singing Carmen, having performed the operatic version before and Brook’s tragic adaptation three times. The Chicago native, now based in New York, previously studied at Boston University’s highly regarded Opera Institute, so this is a homecoming of sorts.

"This is exciting for me to sing Carmen again,'' she says. "It’s different every time. In this production, Drew has made me more aware of Carmen’s maternal instinct. You always think of her as a fancy-free seductress, but Drew has created an almost bottomless depth.''
Chigas described her voice as "a typical mezzo, with a darker sound. But I’m working on the upper part of my range. You have to have that exciting high part. But I think my voice works well with this character.''

This is Boston Midsummer Opera’s third summer season; the first two featured selections from Mozart and Offenbach, respectively. This is the first full-length operatic presentation for the ensemble, and Davenny-Wyner notes that "we have 30 or 40 pieces we are considering for the future. There are lots of works by Handel, Haydn and Mozart that fit this size group, but also paring down the bigger works gets at the essence and makes them more accessible. Throughout my career, some of the most intense experiences were the ones that were done on this scale. It keeps you from creating a distance from the work, and allows you to see it in a more intimate way.''

THE TRAGEDY OF CARMEN

Boston Midsummer Opera at the Tsai Performance Center, 685 Commonwealth Ave., on Wednesday-Sunday. Tickets ($20-$50) are available at www.bostonmidsummeropera.org or by calling 617-227-0442.